2006 Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Kit

Mini doesn't really need to sell 2000 specially equipped models right now. The factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire, is already working 23/6 to keep supplies of its cubic cult car going out to the faithful. But keeping the Mini in vogue is the name of the game, and the extra profits from this new Cooper S with John Cooper Works GP kit (listed here for $31,150—$9700 more than a Cooper S) can't hurt.

The Mini GP—let's call it that, it's much less of a mouthful—is the highest-performing Mini for sale, with a revised Eaton blower, a less restrictive intercooler, recalibrated engine management, high-volume injector nozzles, and a freer-flowing exhaust system. The various mods bump power output to 215 horsepower at 7100 rpm and help propel the Mini to a 145-mph top-speed.

Throttle response and sheer thrust certainly feels healthy, with a determined burst of acceleration available from the moment the supercharger whine cuts in to the point when the car's red tach needle meets the 7000-rpm redline on the steering-column-mounted gauge.

We found that odd, since the car's output is said to peak at 7100 rpm, and its exertions are electronically limited at 7150. So you get 215 horses, but only for a brief moment before you have to shift to avoid the rev limiter. More important, then, is the spread of power, and this was enough to vault the car from rest to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. That's 0.5-second quicker than the 207-hp John Cooper Works Mini and just a tenth off of the 263-hp Mazdaspeed 3.

Coping with the extra joie de vivre is a retuned chassis, with specific spring, shock, and anti-roll-bar calibrations (plus aluminum rear trailing links), and model-specific 18-inch wheels and tires. As you'd expect from a Mini, the GP handles extremely well, pulling 0.90 g on the skidpad, a Mini record. Yet its ride, if anything, is no worse than that of a Cooper S of recent memory. It helps that the 2609-pound GP was 62 pounds lighter than a John Cooper Works Mini.

In a racetrack environment, however, it is all too easy to overdrive this willing little beast. As usual, the gearbox is perfectly calibrated for the two-pedal shuffle, although the cable mechanism demands full throws for certain engagement. A fraction less than that and you may miss a shift.

With only 415 Mini GPs coming our way, the prominent rear wing, unique color combination, body kit, and lack of a rear seat (a rear strut-tower brace now occupies that space) differentiate this car, making it instantly identifiable as an exclusive collectible. We do hope you got your deposit in on time.

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